Resilient snap hook



July l 1952 R. c. LEGAT 2,601,711

RESILIENT SNAP HOOK Filed May ll, 1948 Patented July 1, 1952 RESILIENT SNAP Hoon Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn., assignor to i The G. E. Prentice Mfg. Co., Kensington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 1l, 1948, Serial No. 26,259

This invention relates to key cases, and has to do more particularly with the hooks whereby the keys are attached to such cases.

An object of the invention is to `provide an improved key case hook made of sheet metal rather than wire, as is usual.

A further object of the invention is to provide a key case hook composed of Asheet metal and which is sturdy in construction, economical to manufacture, and possessing certain advantages over` the usual form of hook made of Wire.

The advantages of the key case hook of this invention. as well as the novel features of construction thereof, will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of the blank from which the key hook is made; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view on an enlarged scale of the completed key hook; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the key hook shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the same; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of the key hook.

In the drawings, the reference numeral I designates generally the blank from which the key hook of this invention is made. The blank may be made from any desirable type of sheet metal, but is preferably made from a carbon steel or phosphorus bronze sheet approximately al; of an inch thick. The blank I0 is approximately 2H; inches in length and has a shank portion II approximately 1H inches long and 3% of an inch wide. The lower end of the shank portion II, as viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is tapered to provide a reduced end portion I2 about 1; of an inch in length. At the upper end of the shank portion II, is an enlarged portion I3 provided with convexly-shaped side edges, such portion I3 being approximately 115 of an inch in length and having a maximum width of about 11/64 of an inch. The top of the blank II) is provided with three projecting portions or lobes I4, I and I6, of substantially triangular form and having convexly-shaped side edges; the coniiguration of such lobes being such that they may be formed into the hollow ball-shaped head I1 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.

In the formation of the key hook from the blank shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the ballshaped head I'I by which the hook is pivotally supported on the holder of the key case, is formed from the three projecting portions I4, I5, I6 of such blank, as has been previously mentioned.

1 Claim. (Cl. 247-237) The enlarged portion I3 is folded longitudinally to provide two spaced, longitudinally disposed ears I8,-` I8. The shank portion II is then bent in the form of a tear drop-shaped loop so as to position the reduced portion I2 thereof between the spaced ears I8, I8; the reduced portion I2 being preferably curved outwardly, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings, so that its outer free end normally rests against the associated-surface of portion I3 between the' ears I8, I8.

It will be noted that the leg portion of the loop provided with the reduced end portion I2 is a, spring member which maintains such reduced portion in the U-shaped cavity formed by the ears I8, I8 of the enlarged portion I3. One functionrof the ears I8. I8 is to maintain the reduced portion I2 in` position with relation to the head end of the hook and the associated shank portion. Another function of the ears I8, I8 is to provide a guard against the possibility of the reduced end I2 catching on the material of the key case or the garments of the user. The ears I8. 4I8 also facilitate the insertion and removal of a key on the hook.. Thus, if a key is to be inserted on the hook, the required opening between the reduced end I2 and such ears may be obtained either by inserting the nger nail under the end of member I2 and then moving it inwardly over the outer edge of such ears, or by inserting the finger nail between such members at the upper end of the loop and moving it outwardly over the outer edges of the ears I8, I8. In either case, as the ringer nail is moved over the outer edges of ears I8, I8 the latter will exert a camming action to force the reduced end I2 outwardly a sumcient amount to enable a key to be inserted thereon.. When a key is to be removed from the hook, it is only necessary to grasp the key and move it outwardly over the outer edges of ears I8, I8 which, because of their camming action, will cause the reduced end I 2 to be moved outward sufciently to release the key. When the key is in proper position on the hook, the ears I8, I8 will prevent it from unintentional disengagement therefrom. The ears I8, I8 also enhance the looks of the key hook, giving it a distinctive, attractive appearance. The hook is sturdy and may be readily manufactured in quantity at low cost.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claim. Thus, it will be obvious, that the reduced end I2 and ears I8, I8 may have any desired configuration which will enable them to cooperate in the manner explained and such reduced end may be constructed to be entirely within the connes of the ears I8, I8. In this latter connection, the hook will be opened by moving the ringer nail',cnyanyfv other devicel outwardlytoward-`tl`1e1 head"of` the hook in the manner previously explained.

I claim: I

A key hook comprising a shank comDQSledot an elongated strip of sheet metal bent irite'rln` diate its ends to provide two lgs,forn'iir'iy'gal closed loop, an attachment'membe'r connected; 18

to the upper end of the longer leg of said sharik"` the other end of said shank beingjggonreduced, width and connected to the body of the shank by a tapering portion thereof, the free e"n"d""ofv 4 lengths and below the extremity of the other shank end and said ears being so located on the longer leg of said shank that the upper ends thereof are adjacent to and conceal the closed 5 end of the loop, the reduced other end of said shank extending downwardly between said ears and emerging from between the latter at a point adjaetry, peibwthe hgiigpit lof the outer edges'of such ears; suoli reduced shank' end and l0 the outer edges of said ears belowr such point of emergence being arranged in diverging relation tqprovidea; space therebetween suflicient to enable aY fingernail to belinserted therebetween and engage?afpointonfthe outer edges of said ears ufnde, s reduced shank end, whereby when tl'i''n nail is) moved upwardly over the outer edgesof. suchears towards the high points thereof such reduced shank portion is cammed outwarilysuiiiciently to enable a key to be inserted said reduced shank portion having its inner sur-I 20 on the hook,

face resting againstthe inner surface'ofA an` in'- termediate portion 'ofthe longer legjof sl'acl-Ms-li'ank'4 positioned in spaced relation vbel'owsafd attach; ment'rn'ember to'forml'the clo's'ed endof thefl'op ROBERT C. LEGAT. RiinaRCsJ CITn ,'llfel'fllowing references are of record in the the leg* portions of` such shanilr".belowv tl'i'cl'osed 25" fe of this patents end of the loop extending downwardiyinf'spae'd diverging relation, and a p'ar oproje'cting' ears integrally connected to the'side edges oftfieslietVA metal material forming, the longe!` leg o'fs'ald shank and projecting* in siibs'tantiaily;l paralle'v relation from the inner surface thereoff'tol form with a portion of thelattera U`'s'h"aped housing, in which the' inner surfaces of A't "e siiieecfgsfv thereof are spaced 'apart a' distzilfnev les'stli'an the width of such shank'between ous and the taperingv portion,thereof,l said ars'hav i ,Y UNITEDPATENTS" Y Number ...Name

D'. 31,003; Murphy' June. 13,1899, 344,488". M'cKenzi' June 29, 1886M 454,034.. Davis June 16, 1891 A78E375... Shurmon July 5, 1892 1,3015226.'v Johnson June; 10,. 1919V v 1,598,207.. Lorber Aug. 3-1, 1926V 35'? 1,778,168 Rotberg.' Oct.. 14;,v 1930.

1,926,852 I-Ianle` Slept.` 12, 1933` 2,394,501/ Za1wvin'-lY Feb., 5,. 1946..

Churchill4 Jan.. '9,I 1951` 

